According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Americans ate an average of 279.1 pounds of meat per person in 2005—154.1 pounds more than the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) recommended annual maximum of 125 pounds from the entire protein group, which includes meat, eggs, soy products, nuts, and seeds.

According to the FAO, the United States had the third largest per capita meat consumption (behind Luxembourg #1 and Hong Kong #2) out of 171 countries in 2005, and its citizens ate over 41 times more meat than Bangladesh, which ranked #171. The FAO states that "Evidence suggests that poor people, especially young children and their mothers in developing countries, are not consuming enough animal-based food… while other people, particularly in developed countries, are consuming too much.”

Americans eat more beef (37.8 lbs/person in 2009) than any other meat. However, USDA statistics show that beef consumption has declined 27% since 1970 (51.8 lbs/person in 1970) while the consumption of chicken has increased 104% from 15.8 lbs/person in 1970 to 32.3 lbs/person in 2009. Meat consumption data vary by reporting agency and even within agencies, so take the information with a grain of salt.

II. Per Capita Meat "Consumption" (lbs/person) in the United States, 1970-2009

The data below are from the USDA/Economic Research Service, www.ers.usda.gov, Feb. 1, 2011. The per capita meat "consumption" is measured in lbs/year and reflects the total amount of meat supply in the United States adjusted for loss. The USDA calculates "consumption" by dividing the total annual supply of a specific meat by the annual population and adjusting that figure for loss by subtracting 1) the estimated amount of meat lost when converting it from the farm to a market ready product, 2) the estimated amount of meat lost at the retail level due to spoilage, and 3) the estimated amount of meat lost when consumers cook it at home. The fish category includes both fresh and frozen fish.

The data below are from the FAO's 2009 report "The State of Food and Agriculture," available at www.fao.org. 169 of the 171 areas listed are countries. Hong Kong and Macao are special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China with separate governments. The FAO consumption data are based on food balance sheets for each country, which show the amount of meat available for human consumption added to the amount of meat imported into a country. From that total is subtracted the amount of meat exported, fed to livestock, used for seed, and lost during storage and transportation. That figure is then divided by the population.

MC = meat consumption measured in lbs/person/year

Country (by rank)

MC

Country (by rank)

MC

Country (by rank)

MC

1

Luxembourg

314.6

58

Mainland China

131.2

115

Mali

49.4

2

Hong Kong

295.9

59

Panama

127.2

116

Egypt

49.2

3

United States

279.1

60

Latvia

126.8

117

Sudan

48.5

4

Australia

259.3

61

Kazakhstan

123.5

118

Bosnia and Herzgovina

47.8

5

Austria

240.5

62

Lebanon

120.2

119

Algeria

47.6

6

Spain

237.9

63

Saudi Arabia

120.2

120

Turkey

46.7

7

Cyprus

230.16

64

Russian Federation

114.9

121

Congo

46.3

8

New Zealand

229.3

65

Malaysia

113.1

122

Djibouti

46.1

9

Denmark

222.0

66

Bolivia

113.1

123

Nicaragua

44.8

10

Ireland

222.0

67

Bulgaria

112.9

124

Syria

43.0

11

Israel

219.8

68

Belize

108.5

125

Azerbaijan

42.8

12

Bahamas

217.8

69

Republic of Korea

107.8

126

Maldives

42.8

13

Macao

214.3

70

Dominican Republic

105.2

127

Angola

41.4

14

Canada

212.3

71

Ecuador

102.5

128

Laos

38.8

15

Netherlands Antilles

209.9

72

South Africa

101.9

129

Yemen

37.7

16

Slovenia

207.0

73

Japan

100.1

130

Lesotho

37.7

17

France

195.3

74

Suriname

100.1

131

Zimbabwe

37.3

18

Argentina

195.3

75

Turkmenistan

94.4

132

Cambodia

36.2

19

Saint Lucia

194.2

76

Mauritus

93.5

133

Burkina Faso

35.1

20

Italy

194.0

77

Trinidad and Tobago

92.2

134

Kenya

34.0

21

Czech Republic

190.9

78

Albania

90.2

135

People's Republic of China

32.2

22

Portugal

189.6

79

Costa Rica

87.1

136

Madagascar

31.3

23

Saint Kitts and Nevis

188.3

80

Croatia

85.8

137

Haiti

31.1

24

United Kingdom

185.0

81

Ukraine

85.1

138

Sao Tome and Principe

30.2

25

Iceland

184.5

82

Moldova

84.2

139

Afghanistan

30.0

26

Germany

183.6

83

Colombia

84.2

140

Cameroon

29.8

27

Belgium

181.7

84

Republic of Macedonia

83.6

141

Zambia

29.5

28

Malta

181.7

85

Guyana

81.4

142

Cote d'Ivoire

28.7

29

Serbia and Montenegro

180.8

86

Honduras

80.5

143

Guinea-Bissau

28.4

30

Brazil

178.1

87

Jordan

80.5

144

Chad

27.8

31

Greece

174.6

88

Kyrgyzstan

76.9

145

Senegal

27.3

32

Antigua and Barbuda

173.7

89

Vietnam

76.9

146

Benin

27.1

33

Taiwan

173.5

90

Timore-Leste

75.1

147

Pakistan

26.9

34

Netherlands

171.5

91

Cape Verde

74.3

148

Tajikistan

26.2

35

Sweden

170.0

92

Swaziland

71.9

149

Niger

25.1

36

Poland

169.3

93

Paraguay

71.2

150

Comoros

24.7

37

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

169.1

94

Mauritania

71.0

151

Ghana

23.4

38

Barbados

161.8

95

Cuba

69.7

152

Uganda

22.5

39

United Arab Emirates

159.6

96

Georgia

68.8

153

Indonesia

22.0

40

Switzerland

159.4

97

Central African Republic

68.3

154

Nepal

21.4

41

Mongolia

159.4

98

Iran

67.0

155

Liberia

20.9

42

Dominica

157.0

99

Namibia

66.4

156

Tanzania

20.9

43

Finland

156.1

100

Singapore

65.3

157

Gambia

19.2

44

Lithuania

155.6

101

Armenia

64.4

158

Ethiopia

18.3

45

Chile

155.6

102

Seychelles

63.9

159

Guinea

16.5

46

Uruguay

150.8

103

Libya

60.8

160

Rwanda

16.5

47

Norway

144.8

104

Palestinian Territory

59.5

161

Iraq

15.7

48

Grenada

144.2

105

Thailand

58.9

162

Sri Lanka

15.7

49

Slovakia

142.6

106

Botswana

57.3

163

Eritrea

15.7

50

Gabon

142.0

107

Peru

57.1

164

Togo

14.3

51

Romania

140.9

108

Tunisia

56.7

165

Mozambique

12.6

52

Mexico

137.1

109

El Salvador

54.9

166

India

11.2

53

Jamaica

134.9

110

Guatemala

54.2

167

Sierra Leone

10.8

54

Belarus

134.3

111

Uzbekistan

54.0

168

Democratic Republic of the Congo

10.1

55

Venezuela

134.0

112

Morocco

52.5

169

Malawi

10.1

56

Brunei Darussalam

133.6

113

Somalia

51.8

170

Burundi

8.2

57

Estonia

131.6

114

Myanmar

50.7

171

Bangladesh

6.8

IV. Top Meat Consuming Countries, 2007

The chart below is taken from the Economist's Apr. 30, 2012, article "Kings of the Carnivores," which used data from the FAO. View the full data of all 177 countries in the study.

V. Per Capita Beef, Chicken, and Pork Consumption of Major Import and Export Countries, 2010

The data below are from the United States Department of Agriculture's Apr. 15, 2011, report Livestock and Poultry: World Markets and Trade, available at www.fas.usda.gov. The USDA selects countries for the consumption chart that are major importers or exporters of beef, chicken, or pork. Consumption of chicken is based on 3-5 pound chickens that are slaughtered at 6-8 weeks old. The Middle East consumption of chicken may be overstated due to transshipments in the region and temporary workers who are not included in official population statistics.